Internet Explorer 9 to get new, simpler look?

Internet Explorer 9, the next version of Microsoft’s popular Web browser, may come with a new, more minimalistic user interface.

The image below was posted on Microsoft Russia’s press website along with some information on Internet Explorer 9, reports ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley. The Web page has since been taken down, but Foley grabbed a screenshot and translated the text beforehand.

Most notable is the absence of the usual IE menu items like Bookmarks. There’s also no search bar — Microsoft is combining the address and search bars into one, ZDNet reported. How much do you want to bet that Microsoft will want search powered by Bing? (There likely would be options here to please the antitrust police.)

Because the Web page has been taken down, and I can’t see it, here’s some more from Foley’s report:

The Russian Microsoft site said that there will be provisions for “recognized,” or “protected,” sites which will allow users to go straight from the Windows taskbar to these sites without having to open IE first. In other words, recognized, protected sites will be treated more like traditional Windows applications.

Bing translated the instructions for doing this as: “(C)lick the pins in the address bar or click the site in a new tab and drag it to the taskbar. That’s all. If the site is pinned, it displays an icon that is separate from the Internet Explorer. Now from the website you are just one click.”

The site also reportedly mentioned the introduction of tear-off tabs, which allow users to easily open a tabbed website in a new window. Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari already do this.

The information was posted today on Microsoft Russia’s press site and quickly pulled. To me, that means Microsoft is close to sharing this information and accidentally posted it early to, well, just about the worst place you could post it early (other than the English-language press website).